04-27-11 Council Workshop Minutes

Home Browse Search

MINUTES CITY COUNCIL APRIL 27, 2011 LITTLE CANADA ROAD STREETSCAPE COUNTY ROAD B -2 LANDSCAPING REPLACEMENT OF BANNER POLE DISPLAY BANNERS Blesener indicated that he would like to see the Allina service area that Little Canada is a part of. The Council also asked whether or not Allina had plans for increasing the number of service areas, i.e. adding a station in Little Canada. Blesener suggested that this information along with additional response times be forwarded to the Council. The City Administrator noted that the Little Canada Road streetscape improvements were discussed as part of the action plan review. The City Administrator reviewed a preliminary layout for the retaining wall and landscaping of County Road B -2 from Rice Street to Park Street. He noted that the wall would be 4 feet high with a 10 foot wide landscaped area behind it that then slopes toward Terrace Heights Mobilehome Park. The proposed landscape plan calls for junipers on top of the wall in the 10 -foot area, with crab apple trees and spirea in front of the wall. This landscaping would require limited maintenance and it is planned to be irrigated. The Administrator noted that the recommendation for the block wall is the large blocks that were used for the DeSoto Street retaining wall adjacent to Montreal Courts Apartments. The Administrator indicated that this improvement is within the City's TIF District. Provisions of that District address St. Jude's cost participation in the turn -lane project. The Administrator indicated that he would be contacting St. Jude Medical relative to their contribution toward the cost of these improvements. The Administrator indicated that the addition of banner poles in the area is also an option, and the City could provide St. Jude Medical with the opportunity to gain a presence on the banner poles. He will also discuss their interest in this option with St. Jude. The Administrator reported that the City last purchased replacement banners for poles on Little Canada Road in 2005. There is the need to purchase additional banners, and the Administrator asked if the Council was interested in adding some variety to the banners which are currently limited to Thunder Bay Sister City and the City's logo. Options might be to have banners for key community groups such as the Fire Department, Canadian Days, LCRA, and the Historical Society. The Administrator noted that the last time banners were ordered the cost was $80 each with a $100 set up cost for each type of banner. McGraw suggested that City businesses may be interested in having a banner. Keis asked if this would be considered a form of advertising sign. 7